Pneumatic microvalves have been widely implemented in chemical and biological microsystems (e.g., in platforms for protein crystallization screening, genomic analysis, and biological network characterization) due to their unique combination of simplicity, reliability, and versatility. The microvalves possess a small footprint and are fabricated with soft-lithographic techniques, making them easily integrated into elastomers-based chips. They can operate over wide ranges of viscosity, temperature, and pH, and they can be engineered to seal hermetically, even when subjected to high pressures.
However, despite all these advantages and more, pneumatic microvalves have yet to see extensive use in portable applications because the equipment needed to operate the microvalves, typically a pressure source, an array of solenoid valves, and electronic controls, are prohibitively bulky. Additionally, the external valves that translate electrical signals into actuation events are problematic because they require significant power to operate.